My daughter is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. During her
shipboard days she learned a number of great tips - sort of a "sea-going
Hints from Heloise!" Coffee (beans or ground) is used to absorb odors in
shipping containers. She said that they'd open a large can of coffee, set it
in the container, close it up for a week or so...and voila...no more odors.
Apparently the coffee actually absorbs the odors. I recently used this
method to rid a small house of decades of cigarette smoke odor. Worked like
a charm. I would imagine that this would work with moth balls too. Most of
the time the merchant mariners were trying to get rid of spoiled meat or
fish odors - makes me ill to think of it. 

Becky Fitzgerald
Susquehanna Museum

PS - One of Erin's BEST tips was a dessert recipe. While standing night
watches, the steward would bring munchies or desserts to help keep the
watchstander awake and alert. One night a steward brought Erin a coffee/ice
cream dessert that is VERY good and VERY easy. (As you eat this imagine
you're on the bridge of a tanker in the South Pacific!)

Put a generous scoop of ice cream in a mug. 
Pour about 4 oz. cold, stale, black coffee over it.
Add whipped cream on top.
I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's GOOD!


-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Christa Weinberger
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 2:17 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Moth Ball Smell

Sorry to deviate from the intern dress code topic but I have a question 
about moth balls.  I have a complete military footlocker that we want to 
put out on display but it reeks of moth balls.  I was hoping someone would 
have a good way a getting the smell out.  I have tried Febreze and was 
wondering if maybe there is something better like letting it just air out 
or using charcoal.  Any suggestions would be great.  I know many of us have 
had this problem.

Christa Weinberger
Registrar
Marietta Museum of History
www.mariettahistory.org

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